The Honour of the Knights, Stephen J. Sweeney [reading women .txt] 📗

informed him that it was accessing the card, then set about decrypting the data. Before long, it displayed the card's content.

Several dozen text options ran the length of the screen, along with options to manipulate the card and its data. The device itself was little more than a screen, the surface touch-sensitive. With his finger tip, Turner tapped the only piece of text that mattered to him,

Operation Sudarberg

More words filled the screen. Amongst the text present were sections entitled “ATAF”, with subsections detailing “Overview”, “Schemas”, “Phase Analysis” and “Implementation”.

Parks stood in silence by Turner's side, watching as the admiral continued to tap through various sections and subsections of the data. Images of the ATAF, concepts and blueprints flashed across the device's screen and Turner moved quickly through them, not lingering long on the overview, schemas and phase analysis sections. Neither of the two needed to see it all in detail. They knew what they was looking at, having seen it almost every day for the past four years.

Finally, Turner tapped through the “Implementation” section and watched as an animation played on the screen. It showed an overview of Imperial space. Five star systems, Mekel, Carthege, Haylahe, Atlante, and Codexa, were highlighted. They were positioned close to one another and situated near the centre of Imperial-controlled space. As the animation played through, the galactic map zoomed out to reveal all of Imperial space and a small number of Independent systems, running the border. Five pale yellow spheres expanded from each of the five highlighted Imperial systems, engulfing all of the Imperial-occupied territory and the handful of Independent world systems. Statistics and other various items of information began to fill the screen, though Turner did not wait to see it all.

“Good work, Commodore,” he said, powering down the device. He removed the card and placed it into a small plastic container. He then beckoned forward the coastguard holding the large metal case and placed the data card within it. The size of the case was absurd for the tiny object that it had been brought to carry, but the data was deserving of the protection; for the time being at least. Both Parks and Turner knew that it would be kept safe until its retrieval was confirmed by government officials, after which it would be destroyed. The security officer stood back with the others and awaited further instructions.

“We have also obtained full combat statistics for the ATAFs,” Parks said. “They are currently being correlated on Griffin. I should be able to have them sent to you within a few hours.”

“Everything?” Turner asked in surprise.

“Everything.”

“If that is the case, then we have all the information we need,” Turner said, walking over to the window and looking down at the celebrations and cheers that continued below him. He looked over at Parks who had joined him. “We now have only one hurdle left to overcome.”

Parks nodded his understanding and together the two men left the room.

* * *

A man took back a bottle of tequila that he had previously thrust into Dodds' hand. He whooped and waved it around in the air before noticing that the flight deck had fallen quiet. Dodds and Enrique looked over at the parting crowds to see Parks and Turner walking towards them. Personnel stood to attention and saluted the two men that walked between them, the admiral's expression one of slight irritation at the rowdy behaviour of the spontaneous celebration.

“At ease,” Turner muttered, stopping in front of Estelle and her team mates. “Lieutenant de Winter, you and your team have had quite a day from what I've been told.”

“Sir, yes,” Estelle answered, swallowing hard, her eyes straying over to Dodds and Kelly.

“Answering the call to stand in defence of your carrier, your squadron and allied forces against overwhelming and uncertain odds; risking your lives to go well above and beyond the call of duty, at a moment's notice...” Turner reached into a small box that Parks held, removing a medal from within it. He fastened it carefully to Estelle's flight suit. “... whilst all the time acting within the full interest of the Confederation Stellar Navy and her government. Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander.” He shook Estelle by the hand.

Kelly gasped. Dodds' jaw dropped and, meeting Enrique's eyes, saw the man mouth the admiral's last two words to him.

It took Estelle a moment for the realisation of her promotion to sink in. “Th... thank you, sir.”

“The paperwork will be officially dealt with at Mandelah,” Turner said with a wink and a smile, as the shocked woman shook Parks' hand. The admiral stood back and began clapping, starting an applause that ran the length of the deck. Turner then shifted his attention to Dodds and Enrique, presenting each of them with a medal of their own, before shaking their hands and applauding them. They, too, were promoted to the next highest rank, moving from second to first lieutenant, the rank Estelle had previous held. Kelly followed suit not long thereafter and then the two men came to Chaz.

“Congratulations, Mr Koonan,” Turner said as he affixed the medal to the big man's suit. The applause and cheers grew louder now that the final member of the team had been presented with their promotion. Chaz, however, was not smiling, and as Parks took his hand to shake it Chaz leaned forward.

“I thought you said you had the situation under control, Commodore,” he said in hushed tones. Parks met his eyes and for a brief period there existed some extreme tension between the two men, each of their grips tightening on one another's hands.

“We do, Lieutenant,” Parks answered him. The two men released their handshake and, putting on his best poker face, Parks applauded Chaz along with everybody else.

Turner and Parks stepped aside and people surged forward to hoist the White Knights up on to their shoulders. As he was picked up, Chaz glared at Parks who continued to applaud undeterred, the entire exchange going unnoticed by everyone except for Turner, who had seen it all before.

The bottle of tequila was once again doing the rounds as the merry troop began to make their way from the flight deck and towards the space station's bar. Kelly passed the tequila on without drinking, something playing on her mind. Though she was smiling and feeling rather jubilant in light of her promotion, she was still concerned about seeing one of her father's company's ships docked at a port in Imperial space. She would be speaking to him about it the first chance she got.

But for Dodds, Enrique, and Estelle there was nothing that could bring them down, the thought of a celebratory drink very welcoming indeed.

“Lieutenant Dodds,” Turner called, his voice clear and recognisable above the din of song, applause and chanting.

Those carrying the freshly-promoted first lieutenant stopped and turned him around to face the admiral. “Sir?”

“You did a good job today.”

Dodds grinned back at him. “Thank you, sir.”

THE END